Tractor



R. E. OLDS.

' TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7 i920.

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RANSOM E. OLDS, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

TRACTQR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 1-5, 1921.

Application filed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 35521957.-4

To all fiowm t may concern."

Be it known thatV L. RANsoM E.V OLns, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

fio

sidincr at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and ltate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traictors, of which the following is a specificay tiomreference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings. A, The invention relates to. tractotrs and has particular reference to' the vconstruction of Vthe transmission mechanism kby vyhich the ground wheels may be driven in either fori ward or reverse direction and in the same or in the reverse direction'from each' other. The invention further consists in certain specific features of construction as hereinafter set forth.

VIn the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the tractor; l

Fig. 2` is a side elevation thereof.

A is the tractor frame, including in its rear portion a housing for the. jack-shaft B having at its opposite eiidspinions tractor Wheels E. These tractor wheels are mounted on an axle F which also is connected with the frame A. At the forward end of thev frame A is arranged one or more caster Wheels G swiveled so as to be capable of changing their direction as necessary for turning or steering. H is the engine mounted on the forward portion of the frame, and I is the rearwardly extending transmission or propeller shaft which passes through'the housing containing the jack-shaft'.

The jack shaft is formed in two sections `B and B independently revoluble 'and journaled in bearings J Vand J.' :Adjacent to these bearings there are mounted upon the sections 4B and B' the beveled friction wheels K and' K', said Wheels being rotatively fixed with their` respectivejack shaft seotions, but capable of a slight oscillatory movement thereon. L and L are copeiatg ing beveled friction-vvheels mounted and rotatively fixed upon the propeller sha-ftq I and arranged on diametrically opposlite sides of the friction wheels K and l .M, M2 and M3 are rollers bearingv against the outer faces of the friction wheels K and `K and upondiametricaliy opposite sides These rollers are mounted for thereof. lateral movement. upon the frame A and are adapted to be actuated by Wedges-N, N',

C inl mesh with gear Wheels D, which drive the hl2 and N3l on longitudinally adjustable bars O and 0. The bars O and O are slidable in bearings andare connected at a suitable.

point with actuating levers P and. R under the control of the operator and by Whichthe.

roller bearings M, M, M2 and M3 may be moved laterally with respect to the beveled lfriction wheels K and K'.

With the construction as described, when the bars O and O arein the neutral positionv of adjustment, all of the bars M, M', etc., are so adjusted thatthe friction Wheels K and K are out of driving engagement with both of the cooperating Wheels L and L. By moving either of the bars 0 and O from neutral position in either direction, one y vof the rollers M, M', etc., will be moved against the adjacent portion ofthe friction Wheel K' or K', pressing the same into frictional engaginent with one of the driving friction Wheels L and L. At the same time that this frictional'engagemeiit is'eifected,

pressure is relieved from the'diameti'ically the movement of the bars `0 and O', the

forward drive is released and the friction wheels Ix and K are driven in the reverse direction, causing the backing of the ma# chine. By moving` one of tliebais, as O, in one direction and the other bar 0 in the other direction one of the tractor wheels will be propelled forward and the other reversed, Whicliwill vcause the turning of the machine, the caster wheels accommodating themselves to this' movement. Thus by the scribed I amv enabled vto drive the machine in `both forward and reverse directions and also to accomplish the turning or steering of the machine Without the necessity of any other steering mechanism.

What I claim as my invention is:

simple? construction ofl transmission der pair of tractor wheels, of a pair of alined I' 1.1i a tractor, the combination with a Y rotary shafts for driving said wheels, bearings for holding said shafts in aliiienieiit, friction wheels iion-i'otatable and tiltable on said alined shafts, a shaft eitteiiding between said friction wheels, a driving friction wheel i'otatively fixed upon said shaft adapted for engagement with either of said first-mentioned frictional w'heels, and means foi' pressing either of said firstmentioned friction wheels into engagement with said driving friction to cause transmission of power to the tairi'espoiiding ti'actoi' wheel.

ln a tractor, the combination ywith a tractor wheel, of a. rotary shaft for driving the saine, a friction wheel non-rotatable and tiltable on said shaft, a. bearing for said shaft adjaecnt'to said friction wheel, a driving shaft extending transverse to Said first-mentioned sha-ft. fi'ictioii wheels on said driving shaft for engaging diametrically opposite sides of said first-mentioned friction wheel, and means for pressing said. Iirst-nieiitioned fi'ictioii wheel into frictioiial contact. with eitliei' of saidA driving friction wheels, whereby said tractor wheel may be driven alternatively in opposite directions.

t i3. `Inra tractor, the combination with a pair of tractor wheels, of a pair of aliiied rotary shafts for driving said tractor wheels, a pair of oppositely Vfacing friction wheels non-rotatably and tiltably se! cured upon the i'espective shafts, bearings for said shafts adjacent to said friction wheels, a dri ving shaft passing transversely between said fi'iction wheels, driving friction wheels upon said shaft ari'aiiged for engagement with diametrically opposite sides of said first-mentioned friction wheels, and means for pressing either of said firstmentioned friction wheels into engagement j friction ,whereby said tractor wheels with either of said driving' friction wheels,I whereby said tractor wheels may be-driven forward or reverse a-iid in the saine or opposite directions.

4. ln a tractor, the combination with tractor wheels, of a jack shaft comprising two aliiied shaft sections, a driving connection between said shaft sections and the re,- spective tractor wheels, oppositely facing friction wheels noii-i'otatable and tiltable on said shaft sections, beai'iiigs for sections adjacent to said friction wheels, a driving shaft extending' between said friction whcels,driving"friction wheels on said driving shaft arranged for ci'igagement with dianictrically opposite sides lirst-inentioned friction wheels, and iiicans for pressing either of said fii'st-iiieiitioned wheels into driving 'engagement with eithcrof said driving may be driven forward ori'cvei'sc and in the saine or opposite directions. i

Atractor coiiiiirisliig a frame, tractor shafts for drivingsaid sha ft 4 of said' friction wheels,

wheels on which said frame is mounted, a

'caster wheel for supporting the opposite end of said frame, a iacleshaft comprising alined shaft sections, driving connections between said jack-shaft sections and `the re# speetive tractor wheels, oppositely facing friction wheels noli-rotatable and tiitable on said jack shaft sections, bearings for-said sha tt sections adjacent to said friction wheels, a driving shaft extending between said friction wheels, driving friction wheels i mounted on said shaft and arranged to engage diameti'ically opposite sides of said4 bearings for forcing said roller bearings against the adjacent wheels, rods for actuating said wedge `bearings, and levers foractuating said rods, whereby the manipulation of said levers will cause the driving of said tractor wheels either forward or ,re-A verse and in the saine or opposite directions. ,i

6. ln a tractor, the coinbinationlwith a pair of traction wheels and a pair of alined shafts for driving said wheels, friction wheels each non-rotatable and tiltable on a wheel-shaft, a driving friction wheel between the tiltable wheels and means adapted to tilt the-latter into operative en gagenient with the driving wheel.

y 7. ln a tractor', the combination with a pair of traction wheels and a pair of alined v the tractor wheels, of oppositely disposed friction wheels each nonrotatable and tiltable on a driving shaft, a driving friction wheel interposed between the tiltable wheels and means engaging the outer sides of the friction wheels and fore ing each into tilted operative engagement with the driving wheel.

8. ln a tractor, the con'ibination with a pair of traction wheels and a pair of alined shafts for driving said wheels, of a' pair of oppositely 'disposed friction wheels each non-rotatably secured on a wheel shaft and adapted to tilt thereon into a plane of rotation oblique to that of the shaft, a driving wheels, and means for gageinent with the driving wheel.

9. `ln a tractor, the combination with a pair of ti'actioii wheels, a pair of aliiied shafts forvdriving said. wheels, a driving shaft transversely disposed to an` aliiicd shaft, a pair of friction wheels iioii-i'otatable and tiltable one ou each tractor wheelsliaft on opposite sides of the driving sha ft, oppositely disposed friction di'iving wheels on the driving tractor shaft friction wheels and inaiis sliaft between the and between adapted to engage the outer faces of the friction wheels and t0 move them into tilted Operative en, 2age1nent4 with the driving wheels selectively.

l0, In a tractor, the combination with a pair of oppositely disposed axially alined tract-or wheels having a pair of inwardly extendingr jack shafts, n driving shaft transversely disposed between the jack shafts, a

.10 pair of friction wheels between which the driving shaft extends, each non-rotatably and tiltably secured on a jack shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed driving friction Wheels on the transverse shaft between the tiltable friction wheels, and means movable' transversely to the j ack shaft for forcing the tiltable Wheels selectively into operative en gagement with a drivin@ Wheel.

In testimony whereof affix my si nature.

RANSOM E. O DS. 

